The Tea Caddy in Epcot's United Kingdom

One of my favorite spots to stop and shop while touring Epcot is the Twinings Tea Shop located in the United Kingdom Pavilion. I know I can buy Twinings at home, but something about the charming thatched roof and cottage atmosphere just makes buying my tea at Epcot just that much more wonderful.

Twinings Tea Caddy Cottage
Strolling into the cottage you're greeted with the wonderful smell of teas, and a vibrant collection of the most popular selling options both loose and in bags. Twinings has been selling their fine teas to discerning drinkers for over 300 years, and prides it's self on the ethical partnerships it has created with tea workers around the globe.

Assortment of Twinings Tea Flavors
During Epcot's Flower and Garden Festival Twinings sponsors a decorative and functional Tea Garden, with tours offered throughout the day to increase your knowledge of what goes into your favorite cup. You can read more tour details over on the Disney Food Blog.

Twinings always carries a small assortment of porcelain tea services that you can take home with you. My favorite during this visit was a set that graced the window with purple violets dotting the serving-ware, cups and saucers. In addition you can frequently find one tea sets delicately decorated with scenes from Alice in Wonderland. You will also be able to find tea accessories in the shop, such as tea presses, and Mickey shaped Tea Balls.

Tea Shop Window
This year Twinings pays homage to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II during the year of her 60th anniversary as monarch, otherwise known as her Diamond Jublilee. During the celebration you'll find an assortment of tea cups and trinkets with her likeness or heraldic crest on them.

Celebrating HM Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jublilee
For me there's a comfort walking into Twinings, it's not chic or rock 'n roll, it just offers the quiet comfort of a really good cup of tea. Have you been on the Tea Garden Tour? Are you a tea drinker? Leave a comment below and let me know what your best Twinings memory is.

We love this little shop! I am a Twinings fan. I drink their Earl Grey prettymuch everyday of the world, and I always love to peek in, have a look around, and chat with the CMs from the UK. Thank you for featuring one of my favorite spots!

We never fail to visit the Twinings tea shop. And if we're lucky, they have teas in stock that are hard to find at home. Last fall, I grabbed two boxes of the Christmas tea, which is almost never available here.

Phil wrote on Mon, 04/23/2012 - 19:05:

We love that little shop. They usually carry varieties not readily found in even well stocked grocery stores.

When my wife and I made our first trip together to WDW, we were there as the Food & Wine Festival was soft-opening and we were able to attend a free tea tasting led by none other than Mr. Stephen Twining there in the rose garden right behind the Tea Caddy. It was quite the enjoyable event.

My husband and I love this shop! I am huge tea fan, have an entire cabinet full of tea ( alot of twinnings,lol) We visit this place every time, so cute and enchanting! Would have loved to go to a tea tasting there, that sounds amazing!

Gabriella wrote on Tue, 04/24/2012 - 03:53:

We were in WDW for Spring Break and I signed up for the tea tour and I'm sure glad I did! It was so interesting, informative and entertaining all at once. I'm now a loyal Twining fan after I learned about their ethical treatment of tea workers. My favorite teas are Lady Grey and English Breakfast. We got to sample two iced blends at the end of our tour which was a nice treat during the hot afternoon. I would highly recommend the tour to anyone during the F&G Festival but sign up early as the spots fill up pretty quick. Just a side note, a few on-lookers joined the tour and the guide didn't say anything, even gave them free samples and tastings at the end but the group is limited to 20 and you're given a special tour card to hand in at the end for free samples.

We always stop in here. My mother loves her afternoon tea time so I get her some British treats and of course tea. We also picked her up a lovely perfume at the back of the cottage. There are lovely gifts like scarves and shawls. I picked up a cute little tam change purse for my mom as well and she just loves it.

Patti wrote on Sat, 04/28/2012 - 06:05:

I bought a Winnie the Pooh and friends tea set here years ago. It's my favorite tea pot!

Totally agree! Love this shop. It's so fun looking at all the goodies~edible and not edible.... they have to offer. Also a very nice "quiet" place to get away from the fast pace out in the park. The Winnie the Pooh offerings are so adorable!

Disneynut1958 - The tea tour is usually part of the Flower and Garden Festival Programing. If I'm not mistaken there's no additional charge for the tour.

Rachel wrote on Sun, 05/06/2012 - 21:20:

I just took the Tea Tour on Thursday. Yes is was free, but you do have to sign up early in the day since they only take a dozen or so people per tour.

It's a cursory introduction to some of the ingredients in a couple of the Twinings blends. Specific "tea cup" planters are set up in the regular garden to the side/back of the shop. So it didn't really look like a true Tea Garden to me. There is no tasting or smelling of herbals during the tour.

Unfortunately both my mother & I are loose tea aficionados. We knew more about tea than the very nice Cast Member who was limited to information that Twinings had provided her.

You do get a packet of a couple tea bags to take home. (We got "Camomile, Honey & Vanilla" & "Orange & Cinnamon Spice")

So if you like tea but know nothing about what's in your cup, it's a nice freebie.

Niki wrote on Mon, 05/07/2012 - 14:22:

We always pick up a box of Twining's Almond Chai. It is so delicious and no one sells it where we live. Also, the Tea Caddy carries authentic English Cadbury chocolate, which is so much creamier than the Cadbury sold in the States.

Sandra wrote on Mon, 05/07/2012 - 15:17:

We always visit this shop, although I'm a nervous wreck because my son keeps flapping his arms while we're there (he has autism). My husband bought a wonderful red clay tea canister filled with one of the teas (in bags); it might be hard to carry on a plane, but went home nicely in our car trunk. Don't miss out on the connected shop with very reasonably priced jewelry that would make a great graduation or Mother's Day gift--along with a nice tea cup or mug, of course!

Linda wrote on Mon, 05/07/2012 - 23:11:

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this store. I always spend the bulk of my Disney expenditures at this shop. Buy tons of gifts for friends, tea, jewlery, etc. We spent our honeymoon in the British Isles, so British things are dear to my heart. Back in the old days you could buy tea to drink here and sit at little tables and chairs and enjoy a few quiet moments in EPCOT.

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